Japan's SoftBank Group has announced an investment of up to €75 billion (approximately $87 billion) to expand data center capacity in France. The company's primary goal is to create and manage up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity. This is reported by Techcrunch.com .
In the first phase of the plan, new facilities will be built in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Beauchamps, and Bouchain. These projects are expected to provide 3.1 gigawatts of power to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031. SoftBank, which is both an investor in and a customer of OpenAI, called this project its largest artificial intelligence infrastructure investment in Europe.
French Minister of Industry Roland Lescure emphasized that this deal is proof of President Emmanuel Macron's ambition to make France a leader in the artificial intelligence value chain. This step is crucial for enhancing the country's technological potential.
As opposition to data center construction in the US grows due to environmental concerns and strain on power grids, SoftBank continues its global expansion. Previously, the company also announced plans to build a large data center in Ohio powered by a 9.2-gigawatt natural gas plant.
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